Bicton Hall Farm

[CX820Joe]

This is my sketched out background for the farm layout I intend to create, though it certainly won't happen overnight.  I haven't been able to get hold of all the bits and pieces I need yet, so this introduction is subject to a little editing.

Bicton Hall Farm is a 2400 acre estate in the South Shropshire Hills, located between Clun and Bishops Castle.  The acreage includes 1600 acres of crops, with the remaining 800 down to grass and pasture.  There is a 400 head Holstein dairy herd, and a flock of Clun Forest Sheep.  Cereal crops comprise wheat, oilseed rape, barley and Oats.  Other crops grown are swedes, fodder beet, and forage maize.       

            The farm runs 3 higher hp tractors which are mainly used for arable work as follows:

·         Fendt 828 (65) – 287hp

·         Deutz-Fahr 7250 TTV (17) – 263hp

·         Deutz-Fahr 6185 TTV (68) – 185hp

The Fendt mainly works with a large output Dangreville spreader and in addition to the Estate’s land, also carries out contract spreading.  A smaller NC spreader is also owned for times when the large spreader is on contract work.  Cereals are harvested with a Deutz-Fahr C9206 TSB combine (17) with a 30’ header.

            The farm also runs several smaller/older tractors for the livestock/grassland work as follows:

·         Deutz-Fahr 5130 TTV (65) – 127hp

·         Hurlimann XB100 Max (07) – 100hp

·         Deutz-Fahr Agrotron 135 (03) – 135hp

·         Deutz D52 06 (V) – 47hp

These tractors are responsible for cattle feeding, grass mowing, and slurry spreading, and transport of livestock.  During the winter, the Agrotron is permanently attached to the Keenan Mech-Fiber diet feeder wagon, the Hurlimann to a Kuhn Primor straw bedder, and the D52 is the scraper tractor.  The D52 is kept as clean as possible owing to its relative rarity.  Silage is collected with a Claas Quantum 8400 wagon, hauled by one of the larger ‘Arable’ Deutz tractors.  One of these tractors would also be used to keep the roads clean during the Maize harvest.

            There are two telehandlers on the farm, both are pivot steer JCB’s:

·         TM420 (19) used mainly for grain handling, and muck handling

·         TM310S (62) used mainly for livestock purposes/straw handling (likely to be replaced next year)

There is also a complex of mushroom polytunnels near Bishops Castle, and some of the spent compost is used for spreading on fields, and the transporting of this keeps the bigger tractors busy during the winter.

 

[Pete]

Good starting board... will it be based on one unit or more? Have you any building to start the yard??

your tractor list don’t match your profile though

[CX820Joe]

Thanks for the message - nothing really started yet, so am a bit previous I suppose.

Plan was to have a Deutz-Fahr 9340 as a flagship cultivations tractor, but the rear hitch on the Schuco model was a bit useless - a shame as its an impressive looking tractor.  So the Fendt is going to be the big tractor - though I have deliberated over a slightly older big Fendt, I think I'll stick to the 828 as its such a great looking tractor.

Deutz DX4.51 was also going to feature, but decided to sell that off too.

I am still deciding whether to get the droop bonnet Agrotron 135 for the Mixer Wagon, or should I go for the DX6.31 Agrostar as its a bit more 'exotic'?

Decisions, decisions!

I will have to change my profile photo!  If there were more finer detailed McCormicks then maybe I'd still have them as a fleet.